Police Officer Files Racial Discrimination Suit Against Medford Police Department

A Medford Police Officer who previously served as president of the department’s union has filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the department, the Courier Post reports.

Mark Hunsinger was demoted from corporal to patrolman in 2005, and was never given an opportunity to be promoted back to his previous position. No reason was given for his initial demotion, according to the report.

The Medford Police Department has been reduced from 49 officers to 29 officers in recent years due to layoffs and attrition, according to the report. He was the president of the union at the time of the last layoff, in 2012.

Hunsinger, an African-American, is a 15-year veteran of the department, and claims he was subjected to a “hostile work environment,” according to the report.